This blog will be used to reflect / announce the happenings and interests at PLATFORM in Winnipeg. Known as The Floating Gallery between 1981 and 2004, at which point we were renamed PLATFORM centre for photographic + digital arts to reflect a diverse adjustment to programming and outreach initiatives

PLATFORM centre for photographic + digital arts is pleased to present the group exhibition, Cabin Fever, featuring a mixture of emerging and established artists whose work in photography and video examine boredom, malaise, as well as social and mental isolation.

The prairies offer a paradox of being isolated by its so-called land-locked geography and climate of extremes, yet its denizens are recognized for their creative productivity. What is it about being isolated that stirs creativity among us?
The work presented here offers glimpses into the psyche of boredom, the attempts at ever possible (yet seemingly always-illusive), fulfillment. Is it possible to satiate such undulating hunger derived from being nowhere by creating your own somewhere? As the symptoms of Cabin Fever differ to extremes based on personality, can it be accurately diagnosed? How do you pinpoint ennui? The artists whose work is included in this exhibition offer suggestions, exit strategies, and further problems in creating their own antidotes to Cabin Fever -- this unquantifiable ailment that we have all felt beleaguered by at some time or another. In our current climate of overly and overtly connected social networks, unprecedented instant access to information, and socially accepted [not to mention medically endorsed] dependency on mood elevators and other anxiety-squelching antidotes, it is important to consider alternatives in dealing with these issues of isolation … perhaps the key is absurdity after all.
Please join us for the openingreceptionSaturday, the 30th of October beginning at 7PM. Refreshments will be served. Sunday October 31st PLATFORM will host an informal panel discussion with the visiting artists on the topic of stir craziness in our fast-paced yet isolating culture.

PLATFORM acknowledges the support of its membership, Board of Directors, staff, and partners in presentation. Operating and project assistance for PLATFORM programming is provided by: Manitoba Arts Council, Winnipeg Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, The Winnipeg Foundation, The W.H. & S.E. Loewen Foundation, and the province of Manitoba. Research for Cabin Fever was carried out with the assistance of Manitoba Arts Council [Deep Bay Residency program]; Independent Curators International [The Curatorial Intensive]; and Canada Council for the Arts. The work in Cabin Fever appears courtesy of the artists and their respective representatives: Bau-Xi Photo (Toronto); Jessica Bradley Art + Projects (Toronto); Peres Projects (Berlin, Los Angeles); and Vtape (Toronto).